Bulls charge to premiership glory

The 2026 Western Plains Rugby Union Premiers, the Boagn Bulls, celebrating after their home ground grand final win against the Walgett Rams on Saturday. Photo: Ian Cole

Western Plains Rugby Union.

Story and photos: Ian Cole

Nyngan’s Bogan Bulls have ended a decade-long premiership drought, producing a thrilling 43–31 victory over the Walgett Rams in front of a huge home crowd at Nyngan on Saturday.

The Bulls ran in 6 tries to 4 including 3 tries to their classy PNG import Derrick Voku.

On a perfect sunny day, the stage was set for a hard-fought, defensive grand final between the minor premiers, the Walgett Rams, and a determined Bogan Bulls outfit.

What was expected to be a traditional arm wrestle quickly developed into anything but. Instead, spectators were treated to a free-flowing, high-scoring contest, with both sides throwing caution to the wind and showcasing some outstanding attacking rugby.

The match was dealt an early blow when Walgett’s Hamish Moore, the Western Plains Rugby Zone Player of the Year, suffered a serious knee injury just 20 minutes into the contest. The injury was a devastating setback for the Rams, but it did little to dampen their fighting spirit.

The Bogan Bulls seized control of the contest and headed into the half-time break with a healthy lead, appearing to have established the momentum required to claim the premiership. But Walgett refused to surrender.

The Rams came out firing in the second half and began clawing their way back into the contest. As the pressure mounted, the intensity of the grand final boiled over, with a Nyngan player receiving a red card and three further yellow cards issued to both Walgett and Nyngan players.

With only minutes remaining, Walgett had reduced the deficit to just 38–31, leaving the Rams only one converted try away from drawing level. The tension around the ground was palpable.

The large Nyngan crowd was on the edge of its seats as the Rams continued to attack, threatening to produce one of the great grand-final comebacks. But the Bulls held their nerve. […]

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